Yelm’s senior left tackle Tyler Blevins, who stands 6 feet, 5 inches and weighs 280 pounds, received the opportunity of a lifetime when he was extended an offer to join the University of Pennsylvania’s football team and study at the university.
After visiting the Ivy League school and receiving his Division I offer on Dec. 9, Blevins made his commitment to the university on Dec. 15. The offensive tackle announced his commitment on social media platforms X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
“It’s insane to me that I’m committed to Penn, an Ivy League school. I never want to discredit the work I’ve put into this game, the amount of hours I’ve put into school and the extracurriculars I do. But I honestly never expected to go to the Ivy League,” Blevins said. “I got a glimpse that this might be a reality last year when Brown (University) initially reached out to me. It’s a reality that not a lot of kids get to experience, and I’m blessed that I get to pursue an Ivy League education while playing football.”
Blevins said Penn staff initially contacted him six months ago in the summer, toward the beginning of his football season. He said, at first, contact with the school was light. That picked up, however, during Yelm’s postseason run, specifically the week of Yelm’s 3A quarterfinal matchup against Mount Tahoma.
The three-year piece of Yelm’s offensive line visited Penn from Dec. 8 to Dec. 10 and said that he thoroughly enjoyed his visit to Philadelphia, where the university is located.
“I was fed the whole time I was there. I don’t think there was a point where I wasn’t full. There were lots of meetings. The photo shoot turned out great. The uniforms fit great. They’re Nike. Of course, we had a host for the night, too,” Blevins said. “I think Philly is great. I think the change is what I’m looking for. Going from a small town to a big city is something I’m looking forward to.”
Blevins, who played both tackle and guard during his three varsity seasons at Yelm, said Penn’s coaching staff anticipates him to play as an offensive tackle at the university. Though that’s his initial projection, he said his coaches told him he could eventually slide inside to offensive guard.
“I honestly thought going into this, I’d be a high school tackle and college guard,” Blevins said. “I asked them where they saw me in their OL, and I was told tackle. I’m up for the challenge, and I’m excited for it.”
The Quaker commit’s football journey began as a freshman at YHS. Prior to beginning his first season, Blevins was unsure if he’d stick it out through the first season. Thanks to strong coaching early in his football career and as a Tornado, Blevins now has the opportunity to earn an Ivy League degree.
“I used to hate football. My dad and my brother were really the main two sport guys. I used to be a nerdy, little video-game kid. I played soccer because I thought I had to, but I eventually started to play football to get closer to my dad,” Blevins said. “I fell in love with the sport, partially due to Coach (Will) Benbrook’s coaching during my freshman year. Coach (Brian) Foote’s coaching has brought my playing ability to a high level, too. I think his coaching is outstanding.”
He said his mentor and coach Bryan Hooper has been a “tremendous” help in his athletic ability. Blevins will report to Penn in late July or early August, and said Hooper will continue to train him until he departs for Philadelphia.
“I’ll be staying in the weight room. That’s the biggest thing. I’ll keep training with ‘BHoop’ (Bryan Hooper) to work on things like footwork, agility,” Blevins said. “I’ll keep doing my thing. I’ll keep my grades up and keep working, and I plan on throwing for the track team at Yelm this spring.”
Blevins joins a pipeline of college-bound Tornado linemen, which includes Bradley McGannon, Dylan Jemtegaard, Slade Edwards, Tristan Mesteth, Ami Fakava, Landen Barger and Kyle Kaaiwela under Foote’s coaching. Foote took over as offensive line coach in the 2017 season.
“I think coach Foote is a huge part of all of our development. It’s gotta mean something to you, and of course the size has helped us all,” Blevins said. “We’re all huge humans, and I just think the amount of love that coach Foote has for the game rubs onto us. That’s what makes our O-line so special and so dominant.”
Joining Blevins as college bound Yelm linemen after graduation is Barger, a Montana Tech commit, and Kaaiwela, who holds multiple Division II and NAIA offers. Blevins also believes that three younger Tornados, junior center Shane Creegan, junior offensive tackle Chris Hauss and sophomore “utility lineman” Jonah Smith, are good prospects to play in college.
“I can see them all going to the next level. With Shane and Chris being juniors, as long as they keep doing what they’re doing and pushing their goals, I think they’re both capable of playing at the college level,” Blevins said. “With Jonah, he’s so young. He was a utility player for us. He played all five positions and even fullback. With his IQ and intelligence, I can definitely see him playing college football, too. I can see them all doing great things out there.”
Blevins joins former Tornado teammate Kyler Ronquillo as a YHS graduate playing Ivy League football. Ronquillo is a defensive back at Princeton, which rivals Penn.
“I really think it’s special to share the Ivy League with Kyler. I like having someone out there. Moving across the country isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but knowing I have someone an hour away means a lot to me,” Blevins said. “I’m glad we’re out there, and the fact that we’re rivals now is the funny part. It’s just an exciting journey.”
Blevins is grateful to the Yelm community and the love and support they’ve shown the last four seasons. He also thanked his parents, Nick and Kim.
“None of this would be possible without either of them,” he said. “They’re the ones that have pushed me this far and supported every decision I’ve made. I really do appreciate them.”
